Someone wrote into this month's BMW Roundel stating that "with stock or most replacement springs, camber plates will only get you one degree of negative camber on the left front before the springs hit the body; with smaller-diameter coilovers you can get three degrees".

Anyone run into this problem with stock or regualr-diameter replacement springs? I may want to install camber plates this year on my stock ss+.

Thanks.

 

I think that for the MINI there are many factors that will limit the front negative camber that can be obtained:
Which front camber plates used- some variation exists
Which springs used- stock vs SS+ vs aftermarket
Which shocks or coil overs used (more negative with coil overs)
Individual differences from MINI to MINI and on MC vs MCS

Normal stock settings for MINI for front negative camber is about -0.5 degrees with a range of about -0.1 to -0.9 degrees.

With H-sport springs and RDR front camber plates in my '03 MCS I got roughly a range of -0.8 degrees to -2.3 degrees and it looks like I could get -2.5 at least given that the screw settings are in the middle area of the adjustment slots. However from checking tire temperatures my front tires are showing rather even temperatures at -2.2 or -2.3 degrees negative camber in the front so no real need to increase negative camber for me at this point.

-1 degree would be an underestimate. I would guess that for stock springs a MINI could get up to -2.0 degrees front neg camber. I'd choose a quality front camber plate like RDR, P&D, Webbmotorsports, or H-sports.

 

Would wheel spacers or wheel offsets close to +40mm help?

 

Wheel spacers/wheel offset wouldn't make any difference as the issue is with the strut/spring assembly, not the wheel.

And on another note, I've got Webb plates maxed out at -2.5 degrees both sides and over sharp bumps I get a vicious jolt. There is very little clearance between the spring and the shock tower at -2.5 degrees, anybody think the spring could be coming into contact or something to that effect causing the problem? I'm going in for an alignment in a couple days and I'm going to have it dialed back to -2.2 or -2.3 so we'll see how it goes.. but any thoughts?

 

the first thing to contact the wheel well is the upper spring retainer. since the strut precesses about the steering axis, under some steering conditions the retainer might get into the well. some coilovers with smaller springs and retainers can take more neg camber.

any plate without polyurethane will be less gentle; with metal ***** and socket, that's what you bought.

 

And during installation, it's OBVIOUS that you can run the springs into the strut towers. The driver side has some ridges for strength that are the high points that bump first. The passenger side does the bracing differenty to support the engine brace (they're very different) and you can run it to much more neg than the driver side. I don't know what the limits are yet, as I just did this and have to get the allignment done (I don't do my own like JLM, I use my very uneven garage floor as an excuse). Skinny coil overs would allow a significant more amount of neg camber....

If you get some plates, some other things to look out for......

1) Ride height. I think the RDRs lift the front end a bit.... But I don't have a number. This doesn't matter if you have ajustible height coil overs, but will change the range of height ajustment available.

2) If it goes over the top of the shock tower, will it interfere with a tower brace?

3) The RDRs don't let you get a wrench on top of the strut nut. If it gets loose, you have to jack up the front end, and take the top plate off (that mounts under the top of the strut towers), and then you can get a wrend on it. I haven't had this problem, but others have because they couldn't get the nut tight enough and it worked loose. I don't know about the others.

4) If you use fancy struts, and the ajustment is from the top, can you still get to it?

Did I miss anything?

Matt

 

Installed 12,000 miles ago in May '04 and have adjusted them back and forth for track and street. Going by many comments posted here in the past, I had the fronts set for about -1.8 with zero toe. I have stock ride height with SS+ and have had no rubbing or clunking. Just very solid. Going to -2 neg, according to the testers (among them Garfield, a national autocross winner in a standard Cooper), does not help.

I had mine set at -1.5 in front and drove the car several months with no unusual wear. I got totally even wear on the Azenis Sports which lasted me through about 15 track days.